Matthew 21.  Jesus returns to the temple to teach the day after He had cleansed it.  While He is teaching the chief priests and elders come to question His source of authority.  Authority - ability, privilege, capacity, freedom, mastery, delegated influence.  Jesus will tell His disciples later, after His resurrection that, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." ( Matt. 28:18).  It is a fulfillment of the prophecy, the plan of the Father from eternity.  Daniel had a vision about it: 

 "I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him.  And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed." ( Daniel 7:13-14)

Instead of answering the question directly, Jesus asks a question of His own.  He asks about the authority of John the Baptist- was his baptism from heaven or from man?   They could not answer his question for they feared the people's reactions if they said it was from man,  and they couldn't admit it was from God, for they would condemn themselves for not believing.   They would not act any differently towards Jesus' answer about His own authority.  So, Jesus actually kept them from condemning themselves any more than they already were, by not answering their question.   But, He gives them 2 more parables to help them find the Truth. 

The first parable is about two sons.  The father asks his sons to go to work.  The first one says yes, but doesn't go.  The second one says no,  but "regretted it and went." ( v29-20).  "Which of the two did the will of his father?"  Jesus asks.  They rightly answer that it is the second one.  

The religious leaders are like the first son.  They say the right thing, but they don't do the will of the Father. They don't think they need to repent.  They don't admit they did anything they had to regret. 

The "tax-gatherers and harlots", the known sinners,  are like the second son.  They regretted their sinfulness, they repented and believed, going to John to be baptized, choosing righteousness over sin. 

Both sons had sinned, but only one repented. 

The second parable is about a landowner who plants a vineyard. He builds a wall and a tower and a wine press.. the whole nine yards... and he rents it out to experienced vine-growers.  They worked for him.  He is the owner and the product belongs to him.  They would get a share for their labor, but they don't get to keep it all, it is his. 

However, harvest time comes and the owner sends some of his slaves to pick up the produce.  The vine-growers, having done the work, don't want to pay what is due and beat the first slave, kill the second, and stone the third.  The landowner sends a bigger group and again the vine-growers do the same thing.  Finally, the landowner sends his son to the vineyard, thinking that they would respect him, but they kill him, planning to make the vineyard their own. 

The landowner will not stand for that, he will come and get rid of the "wretches". He will find new vine-growers who will do what is right.  

The chief priests and elders know the right answer.  But they don't like what Jesus has to say next. 

"Did you never read in the Scriptures, 'The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone...." 

They were doing the same thing that the vine-growers had done.  The Kingdom of God wasn't theirs, it is God's.  They had ignored, abused, and killed the prophets in the past.  They were going to kill the Son in just a few days.  The Kingdom is going to be taken out of their wretched hands and would be "given to a nation producing the fruit of it." 

If they would believe, if they would "fall on this stone" they would be broken.  But if they refused, they would be crushed and scattered like dust. 

The message that Jesus gives over and over is the same - choose to believe.  Choose to follow Him. Choose to lay down your self, even though it is hard.  For the consequences for not following Him is death,  wretchedness....crushing, eternal, condemnation.

Father, thank You that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! Many have stumbled over the Rock.  They are offended and question His authority.  Who is Jesus that He should point out our sins?  They refuse to believe. They refuse to regret their rebellion. They refuse to do the will of the Father.   But, You have led us to righteousness through faith in Jesus, the Cornerstone.  The Son of God.  The One who has been given dominion forever.  In Him we have been set free from sin and death. O how marvelous is Your grace! You have given us Your Kingdom and attached us to the True Vine that we might bear fruit - precious and wonderful, spiritual fruit - love, joy,  peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control.  Thine is the glory and power and dominion, forever and ever. Amen.